Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review

doi:10.1177/1362361320903128

Paper

Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review

Published Feb 28, 2020 · Yunhe Huang, Samuel R. C. Arnold, Kitty-Rose Foley

Autism

Q1 SJR score

142

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6

Influential Citations

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Abstract

More adults are undergoing autism assessment due to recent changes in awareness, diagnostic criteria and professional practices. This scoping review aimed to summarise research on autism diagnosis in adulthood and identify any gaps for future study. The authors searched for studies involving first-time assessment and diagnosis of autism in adults, which identified 82 studies from 13 countries using various methodologies. Six themes of (1) prevalence, (2) diagnostic pathways and processes, (3) gender, (4) psychosocial characteristics, (5) co-occurring conditions and (6) experiences of diagnosis were identified across the studies. Findings suggest that receiving an autism diagnosis has a significant emotional impact on adults, but accessibility and processes are inconsistent, and formal support services are lacking. More research is needed on autism diagnosis in adults with intellectual disability, consequences of the timing of diagnosis, and support after diagnosis. Lay abstract More adults are getting assessed for possible autism. Here, we give an overview on what is already known about autism diagnosis in adulthood and find areas that need more research. We divided results from the studies we found into six topics of (1) rates of autism in different groups; (2) the process of getting an autism diagnosis in adulthood; (3) gender; (4) personality traits, abilities and behaviours of diagnosed adults; (5) mental and physical health conditions that occur together with autism; and (6) how adults think and feel about being assessed and diagnosed. We found that adults often have strong emotions after being diagnosed, the process of getting a diagnosis can be unclear and different for everyone, and not many support services are available for adults. More research on diagnosing adults with intellectual disability, differences between early and late-diagnosed adults, and support after diagnosis would be useful.

Systematic Review

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Study Snapshot

Autism diagnosis in adulthood has a significant emotional impact, but accessibility and processes are inconsistent, and formal support services are lacking.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review

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Adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders have multiple psychiatric comorbidities, with OCD being the most common, followed by bipolar disorder and psychotic spectrum disorders, and poor treatment response.

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Citations

Attitudes towards autistic characters in mainstream series and connections with viewers’ own characteristics: an exploratory study

Viewers tend to prefer series with autistic characters with savant abilities, but this preference may influence biased or stigmatizing portrayals, with no significant differences based on sex.

Pedagogical Leaders’ Approaches to Promoting Inclusion of Children with Autism in Norwegian Kindergartens

Norwegian kindergartens promote inclusion of children with autism through a professional framework and empathetic approaches, offering insights for further research and development.

A narrative approach to career identity construction of autistic adults

Autistic adults construct their career identities through adapting or defying job market demands and norms, and accepting or rejecting their autism diagnosis.

An Evaluation of a Jordanian Version of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition Brief Form (BOT-2BF) for Use with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The Jordanian version of the BOT-2BF is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing motor proficiency in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Study protocol for the EYEdentify project: An examination of gaze behaviour in autistic adults using a virtual reality-based paradigm

VR-based eye-tracking can reveal group differences in gaze behavior between autistic adults and neurotypical controls in simulated social interactions, potentially improving clinical assessment methods.

Autistic traits are associated with the presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms and suicidality among subjects with autism spectrum conditions and Anorexia nervosa.

Autistic traits and trauma/stress related symptoms interact to shape suicidality risk in individuals with autism spectrum conditions and anorexia nervosa.